14th Army Corps (Murmansk Region, Murmansk)
In April 2017 it was reported that the 14th Army Corps had been formed in the Northern Fleet/Arctic Joint Strategic Command. It appears that this army corps, formed with its number in view of the World War II actions of the Soviet 14th Army, includes the 80th Motor Rifle Brigade (Arctic) and the 200th Motor Rifle Brigade.
The 11th Army Corps with a place of deployment in the Kaliningrad Region was formed as part of the ground and coastal forces of the Baltic Fleet. In Crimea, the 22nd Army Corps was formed as part of the Black Sea Fleet. An Army Corps is a combined arms unit designed to solve operational-tactical tasks. It may include two to four or more divisions. The size of the army corps can reach several tens of thousands of troops.
There are army corps of both the Russian Empire, and the Russian Federation. According to the Department of Information and Mass Communications of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, on April 21, 2017, in Moscow, under the leadership of the Minister of Defense of Russia, Army General Sergei Shoigu, a regular meeting of the Collegium of the Military Department was held. The meeting was attended by the leadership of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, representatives of state authorities, the defense industry and other organizations.
A separate Arctic motorized rifle brigade of the combined strategic command of the Northern Fleet was created in accordance with the Decree of the President of the Russian Federation on December 31, 2014 with a place of deployment in the village of Alakurtti, Murmansk Region. It adopted military equipment with advanced technical capabilities for reliable operation in the Far North.
Congratulating the personnel of the first Russian Arctic brigade on the acquisition of the main military symbol, Admiral Vladimir Korolev, commander of the Northern Fleet, noted that the formation was created specifically to ensure economic security and protect the interests of the Russian Federation in the Arctic zone, and this imposes a special responsibility on each of its military personnel. The commander of the Northern Fleet reminded the brigade members that they are the heirs of the military glory of the victorious soldiers of the Polar Division, which, in collaboration with the ships and parts of the Northern Fleet, has written many bright pages in the history of the liberation of the Arctic from Nazi invaders during the Great Patriotic War. “Always remember in what difficult conditions it was necessary to fulfill the military duty to our glorious predecessors and do not drop the honor and dignity of the unit in fulfilling the tasks set,” admiral Vladimir Korolev advised the personnel of the unit.
As to the issue of implementing the Northern Fleet’s Action Plan for 2016–2020, the Minister of Defense said that in order to implement it last year, 20 organizational activities were carried out, and in April 2017 the 14th Army Corps was formed. The head of the military department stressed that this plan is being implemented in accordance with the May decrees of the President of Russia in 2012 and his instructions following the results of meetings in Sochi.
The ground component of the command will comprise two (light) Arctic brigades. President Putin signed a decree on the formation of the 80th separate Arctic motorized rifle brigade of the United Strategic Command in the village of Alakurtti, Murmansk Region, on December 31, 2014. In mid-January 2015, the commander of the Northern Fleet, Admiral Vladimir Korolyov, handed her the battle flag. The second (lightest) Arctic brigade will be deployed in the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug in Salekhard (formed since 2016).
The 14th Army Corps - the combined arms formation ( army corps ) of the Russian Imperial Army, was formed on February 19, 1877 as part of the 17th, 18th Infantry Divisions and 13th Cavalry (Don Cossack) Division. By August 5, 1914, he was part of the 4th Army of the Southwestern Front ; on August 22, 1914, he was transferred to the 9th Army of the same front. Before the war, was part of the Warsaw Military District.
The Number 14 was in honor of the 14th separate army during the Great Patriotic War, which fought in the Arctic. The 14th Separate Army opposed the Norwegian Army under the command of Colonel General Valerian Alexandrovich Frolov, with the support of ships and aircraft of the Northern Fleet, under the leadership of Vice Admiral A.G. Golovko. From the very first days, the fighting took on an extremely fierce character. The Germans managed to achieve the greatest success in the Murmansk direction.
The headquarters of the 14th Army, together with the command of the Northern Fleet, developed a plan to fetter the enemy’s forces on the bridgehead, and, under favorable circumstances, to completely eliminate the enemy’s units. The essence of the plan was to land operational landings on the shore occupied by German troops in order to disrupt the supply of the bridgehead. A unique situation was created - on the same river literally a few kilometers from each other, two bridgeheads, Soviet and German, were formed on the banks of the Western Litsa River. The Wehrmacht troops were driven back for the West. This circumstance forced the leadership of the Wehrmacht to completely abandon offensive operations in this sector of the front. The front finally stabilized along the Western Litsa River until the fall of 1944.
The fact that the defenders of the Soviet North managed to thwart the ambitious plans of the Wehrmacht in the Arctic, was of great importance and had an impact on the entire course of the Great Patriotic War, since it was through the ports of the Arctic that the supplies of allied assistance went in the future, and the Northern Fleet was saved.
Two motorized rifle brigades, including the Arctic, were included in the 14th Army Corps, which was created as part of the Northern Fleet, an informed Interfax source told INTERFAX 22 April 2017." The corps included motorized rifle units of the Northern Fleet. It combined two motorized rifle brigades, one of which is Arctic. The new corps will be tasked with performing tasks in the Arctic zone," the agency’s interlocutor said.
The Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation, Sergei Shoigu, announced the creation of the 14th Army Corps. “We will discuss the implementation of the Northern Fleet’s activity plan for 2016-2020. In order to implement it, 20 organizational events were held last year, and the 14th Army Corps was formed in April this year,” S. Shoigu said at a meeting of the military department.
According to the head of the Ministry of Defense, this plan is being implemented in accordance with the “May Decrees” of the President of Russia in 2012, according to which one of the priorities is the development of the Navy, including in the Arctic zone of Russia, as well as in accordance with instructions of the President following the 2013-2015 meetings in Sochi.
In 2017, the 14th Army Corps, which includes two motorized rifle brigades: the 80th Motorized Rifle Brigade (Alakurtti village) and the 200th Motorized Rifle Brigade (Pechenga), entered the coastal fleet troops in 2017. They are armed with unique TREKOL-39294 and Berkut snow and swamp vehicles, ATVs, DT-30 Vityaz all-terrain vehicles, T-80BVM tanks, modernized MT-LB, drones and hovercraft.
Soldiers and officers of the Arctic motorized rifle brigades undergo special training. Fighters know how to fight on skis, use reindeer and dog teams, build a needle - the Eskimo dwellings out of snow. If necessary, the 61st separate Kirkenes Red Banner Marine Corps will also operate on land.
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